Blessings of an old widow lady

                          Blessings of an old widow lady     

I was rather young when i first met her. It was in the summers when we used to play cricket till late evening. Her house was beside our cricket ground. More Often our ball use to go in her compound.There was a rule that whoever will hit the ball in her compound will bring the ball back. And he used to get curses and abuses from her. Once i hit the ball and got the opportunity of getting cursed. I went inside with the beating heart,slowly opened the door and saw the ball was lying close but simultaneously found her looking towards me. I decided to take permission before touching the ball. I did the same and with a polite voice i said "dadi ball lelu (grandmother can i take the ball)" and as expected her curses came " ha lelo hum to baithe hi hai dinvar tumlogo klia gate kholne ko(ofcourse take it, i have no work than to open the gate for you" I again politely said "nhi mai band kardunga( no i will close the gate)". I don't know fortunately or unfortunately again i hit the ball in her compound,again i went with the same polite gesture and this time she also had softness in her tone.

Soon they started sending me each time the ball was hit in that compound. And i also started feeling proud in bringing the ball without curse. Contrary to it i started getting halwa and sarbat with the ball. One day she asked me to sit with her she told me how after her husbands death she took care of her children and when they grew old they left her alone without any reason. Children from that colony used to make mockery of her and they use to make fun of her this pre-judiciously affected her thoughts about children and her behavior towards them. Soon i developed an undefined relationship with her. And whenever or wherever she used to meet me she used to bombard her blessings on me. In our society widows are symbols of unluck and sinister. But for me her blessings were luckiest. This incidence and her changed behavior taught me to behave well with all specially elders and our old ones and to never get prejudice against anyone without knowing his/her situation which forces them to act that way.